10 Juli 2012

Defence Smart Bombs on Target

Minister for
Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today
announced that Australia’s enhanced Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) had
completed its first round of testing.

The JDAM is
a guidance system that converts an unguided or ‘dumb’ bomb into a guided weapon
that can be launched from the Classic Hornet and Super Hornet aircraft and in
the future by the Joint Strike Fighter.

Australia’s
JDAM will be enhanced through an Extended Range wing kit, a Low Collateral
Damage warhead and a Laser Guidance System.

The wing kit
allows the JDAM to glide towards its designated target, providing it with the
capacity to engage targets at a substantially greater distance than the current
JDAM allowing RAAF aircrew to engage their targets from beyond the range of
enemy air defences.

JDAM tested on RAAF Super Hornet (photo : Aus DoD)

The laser
guidance system will also improve the JDAM’s capacity to be guided to, and
attack, moving targets whilst retaining the original JDAM Global Position
System guidance modes.

The extended
range kit was jointly developed as part of a Capability and Technology
Demonstrator (CTD) program by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation
and Boeing.

Under an
agreement with Boeing an Australian company will manufacture the JDAM Extended
Range wing kit.

The wing kit
has strong export potential and may become available for international sale
through the newly established Australian Military Sales Office.